A new after-school club for the children in Yamada

2015/11/25

As part of Japanese Red Cross programmes that are designed to help affected communities recovering after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, a new after-school club has been completed in Yamada town, Iwate prefecture, providing a safe place where the children can play together happily and freely after school.

Since the disaster, it has been difficult for the children of Yamada to find places where they can feel at ease after school. In response to the concerns of local residents, a club where children can take part in various after-school activities was built by the Japanese Red Cross Society. Donations from the Taiwan Red Cross Organization were used by the to fund the construction of this important facility, which is located in Toyomane district of Yamada town. The opening ceremony was held on March 26, 2015, and attended by Ching-Feng Wang, president of the Taiwan Red Cross Organization.

Many public buildings in Yamada town were destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. This created an acute shortage of facilities where elementary school children could go after school to make friends and play with each other in a healthy and stimulating environment. The after-school club in Toyomane district is the second to be opened in Yamada town. Another club was previously opened by the JRCS in Yamada Kita Elementary School in April 2014. This recently built facility has greatly improved the lives of local children and their parents.

“I hope that the children will get together in this club and nurture their relationships with each other,” said Mr. Shin-itsu Sato, mayor of Yamada town at the opening ceremony, which was attended by about thirty local residents and various officials, including Ching-Feng Wang, President of the Taiwan Red Cross Organization. “The club provides a safe learning environment for children who will someday hold the future of Japan in their hands,” said President Wang. “It is based on humanity (one of seven fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement). I sincerely hope that children will grow healthily and happily.“